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A diesel engine will make its way to the options list of the second-generation Volkswagen Beetle, Automotive News reports. The engine is one of a few publicized updates that the automaker has planned for the new Beetle. Others include more backseat room and improved packaging. The second-generation Beetle will appear in the U.S. as a 2012 model.

VW President Stefan Jacoby has called the next Beetle “more of a halo car” and said the brand aims for more sales. As we’ve reported, the Beetle’s U.S. sales peaked in 1999 — one year after its introduction — at 83,434 units. Last year, VW sold 24,477 units.

At the 2009 Los Angeles auto show, VW debuted the Beetle Final Edition (pictured), a limited edition vehicle celebrating, as its name implies, the end of the current-generation model run. Final Edition coupes will feature unique Aquarius Blue paint and a black roof, while convertibles will get a two-tone paint scheme with Aquarius Blue and Campanella White, along with a white top and interior. Each of the 1500 units slated for production will be individually numbered and will include a sports suspension, fog lights, 17-in. alloy wheels, the standard 150-hp 2.5L I-5 engine, and a six-speed automatic transmission.